“This is awfully familiar,” I sighed as the heavy, steel door slammed shut behind me. A single, barred window let in light from above. Seated on a stool with her legs crossed was Eos. Her soft, pink lips curled into a smile. Fresh bruises courtesy of the guards present even on her face. Silver eyes returned my gaze as I crossed the prison chamber.

I was taken aback that even in this condition, she seemed calm and unfazed. How many injuries couldn’t I see? Thick, heavy chains bound her to the center of the room leading to clasps around her forearms. The simple white outfit of a prisoner adorning her luscious frame.

With a giggle, she nodded. Her voice was soft, sensuous and playful in my ears, “Indeed. And what brings you to my prison cell today, Detective Arcavato?”

“You already know.”

“Oh? What do I know? Enlighten me?”

“Your partner, Kaorin. She did as you suggested and has retained me as counsel for your defense.”

“So, we’re back to my initial question, what brings you to my cell today?”

“I want to know my client. Kaorin’s motivations are clear, yours aren’t.”

Unfolding her legs, Eos leaned forward to rest her elbows on her thighs. Then rested her chin upon her palms. She cooed, “I’m an open book then, what page do you require?”

“Who are you?”

“Eos Sorigean.”

“What is your profession?”

“Mercenary, technically. Assassin more often than not.”

“Why did you become an assassin?”

“I had the skill, inclination and need for money. Same as any profession.”

“Surely it must bother you to kill another living, breathing person?”

“When was the last time you had meat? This morning? Yesterday? Last week? Did you ruminate on your food?”

“So it’s just a means to an ends to you?”

“No, it is the means and the end to me. I do my job carefully.”

“Where are you from?”

“Don’t know.”

I stared at her at that last response. The cell was quiet but for the clicking of my mental gears. Every answer would be standard for any back-alley dagger. The last one had been delivered with such nonchalance it had actually taken me aback. I tilted my head to the side, “You don’t know?”

“I awoke for the first time a few years ago in a basement with Kaorin awaiting me. I have no memories from before that. Ever since, I’ve been earning a living and learning. Next question, please.”

My mind ground to a halt. With the irreverence of a Noble regarding a homeless man, Eos had just dismissed her own missing sense of self. She had no memories yet it didn’t bother her. And I believed it. She truly didn’t care who she had been in the past.

“So, since awakening you’ve been living here in Twilight, I imagine?”

“Yes, it’s quite a city. I’ve come to enjoy it. Have you ever been to the Music Hall on Quarter street?”

“No, I’ve never had the chance.”

“Take it. You’ll hear some music of people baring their souls there.”

Then, my instincts flared up. I looked into her silver eyes and asked, “You already know what the verdict will be, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t. I only know it won’t matter. The worst they can do is kill me or sentence me to hard labor. Either of which I will escape.”

“You could escape now, couldn’t you?”

“You already know the answer to that.”

“So, why sit here?”

“For Kaorin’s sake. She wants to save me. Isn’t a princess supposed to wait in the tower for her savior?”

“She’ll make an impassioned plea for leniency, I could see that when she knelt on the floor of my office. She begged me and offered whatever money she could to hire me.”

“But that won’t save me,” Eos spoke coldly. My spine shivered at the chill behind her words.

My eyes widened as I realized what she meant. Eos would be tried by a Drow judge. Under Imperial law, the judge wouldn’t know who the defendant was, only their actions and situation would be presented. Sentimental arguments would fail most times if the law was against the person’s actions. And the law was clear, killing a Noble, much less the former Legate, was against the law.

Eos knew all this yet sat in her cell. I muttered to myself, “Kaorin is too close. She’s too emotional. That’s why you sent her to me.”

“So, I’ll ask one final time, What brings you to my cell today?”

“You said that your job is the means and the ends.  Is there a list or record of your targets?”

“Yes, under the mattress I share with my beloved Kaorin.”

“That’s… a pretty boring place for such a dangerous piece of evidence.”

Eos shrugged as she leaned back on her stool, “You may find I’m a surprisingly boring person.”

Several knocks announced the end of my visitation. I shook my head slowly side to side as I walked to the door, “I highly doubt that.”

Outside, the Paladin guards directed me back towards the exit. The prison was on high alert, there was a tenseness in everyone’s mood or motions. After all, the killer of the former Legate was held here. Kaorin awaited me nervously pacing.

“What did she say?” Pleaded the woman. Her own yellow eyes were exotic and sickly pale skin never seemed to blush. Her manner of dress spoke to foreign origins as well. A thick, purple robe was bound at the waist to by a black belt. Off-setting the exotic appearance was the presence of practical, thick, leather boots.

I let out a sigh, “She was coy but did say that there was something under the mattress you two share.” Taking me by the arm, Kaorin led me through the streets. Her impatient pace almost knocking out the needles that held her black hair in a bun.

Once out of the Imperial section and in the slum, we had to take several back streets to and a ladder to the top of a building. There, a roof storage closet had been converted into a humble living space. Clothes of all kinds hung on lines in the back with no distinction for ownership. Old dishes had piled up. Some part of me cringed, expecting that two women living together might have been more cleanly.  A table with two chairs sat in one corner while a bed was in the other.

What shocked me most was the flood of books that adorned much of the room. Tome, books, stories, fables and records all decorated the room. Everywhere you looked, there was another book. I stammered, “So are most of these yours?”

“It’s about half and half,” Kaorin said weaving nimbly through the books. Carefully trying not to topple a stack over, I managed to reach one of the seats at the table. It only took her a moment of rummaging to produce a leather-bound book. She then returned to the table and held opened it.

Inside were notes, scrawled messily, denoting people. Noting flaws, interests and private facts. I realized aloud, “She’s been researching her targets.” As we flipped through I noted, “But not all of them. Still, there’s actually more here than she just killed.”

“The others were likely incidental to her actual targets. Unfortunate necessities.”

“Still, it makes sense of what Eos said. That her killing was the means and the ends. She enjoys her work and does it well. Still, some of these names surprise me. I believe some are listed as just missing.”

“That usually means someone didn’t want any proof so we just tossed the body over the wall and let the Devils eat it.”

“How annoyingly practical. Still…” My voice trailed off as a page turned and I saw a name. Abrea Nightsbane. The daughter of  Duke Sinir Nightsbane. The murder that had pulled me into Eos’ world.

Underneath the name were several notes I read aloud, “Extorts money using father’s name. Homophobic. Insecure and greedy. Recently stole from Foundry.” This caused me to flip back to the other entries. My eyes widened. Each target was a member in one way or another of the criminal underworld or soldier abusing the populace. I sat back, holding my face, “Eos only kills criminals?”

“What?”

“Double check the entries. She’s weighing the person’s actions.”

“I-I never realized…” Stammered Kaorin.

“You’ve been beside her this whole time and you never questioned it?”

“The killing is how we support ourselves. I have, other duties to help her.”

“No wonder she knew exactly how many she’d killed when we met. She kept track. So, how does this help us?”

“She only kills criminals! The judge has to see that.”

“It’s still illegal. The judge won’t care and see her only as a threat.”

“Well, this book is missing one! That Titan she killed outside the manor.”

“Huh?”

“She killed the Titan that got into the city during the raid on the party.”

“Eos, killed a Titan, on her own?”

“Yes.”

My eyes widened and I let out a laugh, “Of course she could. I’ve never seen anything like what she’s capable of. Okay, that might actually give us something to work on. Kaorin, we need to do some investigating cause an exception we can argue, is that Eos was also hunting Devils in the city. She said she’s a mercenary, right?”

Kaorin nodded. A thin smile came to my lips as I folded the book into my pocket and lead her outside. The nearest location took us a few minutes and it was one of the sites of a flower left by the main road. A tribute to one who had been killed.

In the brick and mortar were deep gouges where claws had scratched the walls. Kaorin nodded as we traced the images of battles back. The days to the trial vanished in a flash. Etace happily joining our preparations.

The day of the trial came. None but the defender, the prosecutor, defendant and judge were allowed in. Witnesses would be called as necessary so I sat outside the room. I watched several others enter. Many nobles in expensive clothes, likely to testify about what they saw the night of the party. I’d not been there but apparently, Eos had cut the former Legate’s throat pretty flashily in front of everyone.

My own turn came and several others I didn’t know offered testimony as well. Long hours passed.

The trial poured over into a second day after a long night. That afternoon, both Prosecutor and Defender exited. Kaorin’s pale face downtrodden. I placed my hand on her shoulders demanding, “What’s the verdict?”

“I failed.”

“What?”

“She’s being exiled for three years.”

“What? That’s it?”

“Huh?” Kaorin’s watery eyes tipped up to look at me.

“That’s a slap on the wrist! You did it!” I shouted and hugged the woman to me. Part of me was mostly relieved of the anxiety of two days. Not everyone was thrilled, many of the Nobles slunk off to share their hatred. Kaorin collapsed onto a bench and Etace watched over her.

I asked one of the guards, who said that Eos would be released later after the paperwork was completed. Deciding to await her, I waited in a small office in the courthouse, reading treatise on the law and justice and the application of such to property rights. Time ticked by and then I heard the door click open.

Eos’ eyes opened wide seeing me and she grinned, “Well, you’re a welcome sight. Were you waiting for me?”

“Yes, I wanted to congratulate you on your freedom.”

“Which I owe to your great work. Have you collected your payment?”

“Not yet.”

Those soft lips smiled as Eos reached over. Her fingers caressing my knee as she motioned for me to follow her. Swaying her hips wide with each step, Eos lead me to a private office. Locking the door behind me, she quickly slid down to her knees.

“Y-you really don’t need to,” I tried to object as her deft fingers caressed my inner thighs. The feel of her tongue against my manhood through my pants silenced me. Her licks were followed by sensuous kisses. Growing fuller under her lips, I watched transfixed as she undid my pants.

Her fingers wrapped around my cock as she looked up at me. I watched her silver eyes narrow in lustful rapture as her tongue began to stroke the underside. Eos bathed my cock in caresses, causing me to swell and grow. Her own heated breaths mixing with my growing inferno.

She took my head into her mouth to let her tongue swirl around my cock. The little tremors and moans from her throat told me how much she was enjoying this. Looking down, I could she was desperate for me. In the past few days, I’d gotten glimpses into her life. She could kill me yet didn’t. Instead, she debased herself in giving me pleasure. Eagerly so.

My hands ran through her black hair and I pulled her onto every inch of my cock. Eos froze for a moment at the sudden intrusion. She flinched but didn’t resist. So, I pulled her back and repeated the deep penetration. Feeling bolder, I picked up the pace. Controlling the situation,  her hands fell to the floor for balance. Leaving me free to use her.

Taking Eos by the elbows, I held them behind her back, fucking her open mouth. She gasped whenever I pulled back enough to let her take in air. Tears smeared her face yet she never lost the rapt, hungry expression. I filled her with my manhood, making her whine. Such a beautiful creature, utterly beholden to my whims.

My composure broke, spilling a tide from me. Even as I released my grip on Eos, she drank from me. Moans and gasps as she struggled to take my seed and breath at the same time. Gathering my seed onto her tongue, she swallowed it all.

“Stand here, in front of me,” I ordered. And, she obeyed. Lust drunk, Eos submitted to me. I looked her over, still in the prison rags. Her black hair twirling between my fingers. Her body was perfectly proportioned, lean but still keeping her feminine charm. Holding her by the chin I commanded, “Strip.”

With a nod, Eos pulled her shirt over her head. Then she quietly removed her pants to stand before me naked. I remembered seeing her the first time. A dark figure of death that I was terrified of. Then, a helpless prisoner I was free to abuse to compensate for that. Now, she stood before me once more. This time, I’d helped her and she was repaying me.

That was when my eyes followed the curve of her neck to her chest. I froze.

Scars, bruises and injuries were all apparent on her flesh. Pain had been a constant companion on her journey. Now, I wanted to give her pleasure.

Lifting her up onto the desk, I sank two fingers into her sodden pussy. Eos panted as she watched me. Rubbing and teasing soon had her moaning loudly. The feel of her wet, clenching muscles and sounds had me aroused once more.

I rolled Eos onto her stomach. Digging my fingers into her bruises, she whined and then moaned louder as I pulled her onto my cock. I remembered what she’d said, her job was about the ends and the means. She reveled in these injuries, a masochist to some degree. She clenched down hard, forcing me to work to get her open. Yet, my efforts were rewarded with a milking embrace inside and a sensuously writhing Eos beyond.

Frenzy overtook us. Every time I began to wither, she eagerly made herself vulnerable to me. Stoked my ire and passions to take her in many positions. I spent more of my seed than I ever had before. Her passion was intoxicating.

In the end, I awoke alone in the office. My own chest looking almost as mauled as Eos’. Lying upon the desk I muttered to myself, “I let a murderer free and was repaid with sex. Am I fine with that?”

Sitting up, I chuckled to myself, “At least it’s been interesting.”